little lion
by tatty ted
Summary: Meet Elizabeth, nineteen years of age and returning to school to complete the second half of her A-levels. But when tragedy strikes on her first day, will Elizabeth cope juggling her A-levels and raising her brother who was orphaned six months ago? -—OC.
1. CHAPTER I

ϟ

* * *

**little lion**  
_its like learning to fly._

* * *

"I'm here to see Mr Byrne."

The young girl stood in front of Sonia, her hands shaking slightly. Her voice was soft and Sonia looked up from where she was sat, her eyes falling upon the youngster in front of her, two buttons of her blouse undone and far too much flesh showing than what was necessary.

"Take a seat, I'll let him now you've arrived."

The girl strolled over to the chair in the corner of the office, dropped her bag on the chair beside her and sat down. She took a deep breath to steady herself and glanced around at her surroundings. From the minute she'd been accepted by Waterloo Road she'd been nervous, more nervous when her research didn't show the school in a positive light at all.

The door to the office opened and Michael Byrne the schools head teacher came out. He smiled warmly, "Elizabeth it's nice to see you again!" She pulled a face at the use of her full name and nodded. She hated the name Elizabeth, she preferred Lizzie or even Liz.

"It's nice to see you again too." She followed him into the office and sat down on the leather chair in front of his desk. He couldn't help but be drawn to the girl's bright purple hair. The last time they had met it had been a subtle pink colour and even then he wasn't too pleased. One of the school rules was against extreme hairstyles.

Michael sat down in front of her, "How are you feeling?"

There wasn't anything spoken for a second. From the moment Michael met Elizabeth he knew she had potential. At her previous school she'd being doing five A-levels before leaving for a year after the death of her parents, hence the reason at nineteen, she'd come back to school.

She laughed; "I'm nervous. I didn't sleep well at all." She had more reason than most to be nervous. Not only was she nineteen years old but she was returning to education for the first time in a year. And if that wasn't hard enough, she had to do it in a new school in a completely different area and environment.

"That's understandable, how is Thomas?"

"He's doing okay thank you. He learnt to walk last week and now I need eyes in the back of my head because every time I try and do something, he's running out of the room which is quite hard if you ask me."

It was a blessing to have Thomas okay for the minute. After the car crash that killed her parents, it was discovered that Thomas had a tumour. The sad thing was there was nothing they could do. It was simply a matter of time before he died.

"How do you feel about returning to school?" She scanned her eyes across the room and then fell them upon Michael, "I'm scared of course but I really want to finish my A-levels, go to University and provide for Thomas. He depends on me to give him a good upbringing like my parents would've."

"So," he handed her a piece of paper, "this will be your timetable for the term. Follow me and I'll show you around." She smiled, stood up from the chair and grabbed her bag. As she pushed it upon her shoulder, she followed Michael out of the office.

He showed her around school showing her where everything was before bringing her to her form room, "This will be your form room. Your tutor will be Ms McFall."

"Is she nice?" Elizabeth asked. It didn't matter if she was or wasn't but in Elizabeth's experience, having a nice tutor made school life a little easier. She breathed a sigh of relief when Michael answered her question and said that Ms McFall was nice.

He pulled the handle down, opened the door and stepped into the classroom, "Ms McFall, this is Elizabeth. Elizabeth will be joining us this term to complete her A-levels one of which is history."

Audrey looked at the girl and was slightly surprised. With the girl's piercings and purple hair she didn't seem the sort of girl who would enjoy studying history but Audrey knew she shouldn't judge, "It's nice for you to join us Elizabeth."

Again, like she did when she entered Michael's office, she grimaced at the use of her full name but still didn't say anything. Instead she walked past Michael and sat down in the place where Audrey had told her to sit. As she placed her bag down on the floor, she began to listen to what Ms McFall was saying.

"Are you into sports Elizabeth?"

"No, I prefer dancing." She smiled as Audrey began to ask the other students if they enjoyed sports or not. At the end of morning registration, she studied her timetable. There was English Literature with Ms Mulgrew, History with Ms McFall who she'd already met, Dance, Art and Sociology.

Armed with her timetable, she made her way towards Ms Mulgrew's classroom bracing herself for English, she knew this school and environment would take a while to get used too.

* * *

**jottings** / new original character, if you like it enough to favourite/alert, please leave a review:3


	2. CHAPTER II

ϟ

* * *

**CHAPTER TWO**.  
_I see you in my dreams._

* * *

It was her second day at Waterloo Road and Elizabeth was already getting a reputation for being late first thing. She ran into Ms McFall's classroom at three minutes to nine, three of her buttons undone on her blouse, her tie undone and her complexion pale.

Audrey didn't say anything to the girl instead she gestured for her to sit down. As she sat down in her place, she unbuttoned the three buttons on her shirt, made her tie and eventually tied her hair into a scruffy bun.

At the end of registration she was about to leave the classroom when she was called over by Audrey, "Elizabeth, was there a reason you were late this morning?"

Not quite making eye contact Elizabeth shook her head, "No Miss I was just late."

For four days her excuse was the same whenever she was late. ("sorry miss, I was just late.") She's always late first thing and after lunch and Audrey, call it instinct, knows there's something that's happened. Elizabeth's appearance is different too, she's far too pale to be healthy.

It was Friday afternoon, just after lunch when Ms Mulgrew was taking the register. She called out Elizabeth's name but once again she wasn't here. At the end of the register, she noticed a figure looming at the classroom door, tie undone, looking flustered.

"Sorry I'm late," she added and sat down. Dropped her bag on the floor, Christine looked at her for a moment before she answered; "Repeated lateness in my class isn't tolerated. I'm giving you detention tonight after school for one hour. Perhaps then you will learn to arrive to my lessons on time."

Elizabeth sighed deeply, "Miss please don't give me detention, I'll do anything. I've got plans."

"You'll just have to unmake them won't you?" She sighed again but realised she wasn't going to get anywhere. She was not going to get out of detention unless she revealed the reason why and she wasn't ready for that at the moment.

She decided half way through the lesson she wouldn't attend detention. She could deal with the consequences because she had much important things to deal with in her life right now.

/

Elizabeth reached the hospital for her normal time of four-thirty. She followed the corridor arrows to the room where Thomas was and stood outside, staring at the Nurse who was inside, updating his notes.

"How is he?"

"There isn't any change I'm afraid." The Nurse answered softly. She excused herself and left Elizabeth and Thomas alone. He was lying in his cot or rather _their _cot, only wearing a nappy with tubes and wires coming out of every part of his body.

She sat down on the chair beside him, touched his hand and knew she'd be in for a long night and weekend.

She shifted onto her seat, crossed her legs and pulled out of history textbook and a pad of paper. She began to write up the piece of coursework that was due in first thing on Monday morning. She knew it was the best thing to do to pass some time, other than staring at the white walls.

"You should go home." She looked up her gaze falling upon Samantha, one of the nurses. She was one of the nicest people on the children's ward according to Elizabeth. Nothing was too big or small for her, she often gave parent's a break and a sneaky hobnob biscuit from the doctor's tin.

"I don't want to leave him."

"When was the last time you slept?"

"Yesterday."

"Properly?" Elizabeth sighed. If she remembered correctly she hadn't slept much since the Monday Thomas was brought into hospital. Taking a sip of the Fanta bottle that she'd purchased earlier, she answered back; "The Sunday before Thomas was admitted to hospital."

"Right we're not having that!" Samantha left for a while. When she returned she had a camp bed that she'd "robbed" from another ward, a cup of tea and some biscuits. That night Elizabeth slept slightly more comfortably than she did when she first arrived at the hospital.

She stayed all weekend, sitting beside him wanting him to wake up. He didn't. He slept the entire time she was there, never really opened his eyes either. It was late Sunday when she went home. She had a shower, washed her clothes, made sure her coursework was up to date and went to bed, (although she knew she wouldn't sleep very well. She never did without Thomas)

* * *

**jottings** / if you like it enough to favourite/alert, please leave a review:3


	3. CHAPTER III

ϟ

* * *

**CHAPTER THREE**  
_party till the morning light._

* * *

Monday morning and Elizabeth failed to turn up for her first lesson. Audrey noticed her absence from morning registration and noticed that it appeared out of character for the girl. Yes she spent the entire week being late but not turning up for different.

It was only in the staffroom at morning break that Audrey asked Michael if Elizabeth was okay, "Why do you ask?"

"Last week she was late every morning for registration and this morning she didn't turn up."

Christine muttered a reply, "She's probably worried about the consequences from not turning up to detention on Friday."

Audrey looked at Christine slightly surprised. She would never have put Elizabeth down as a student who would deliberately cause trouble, "What did she do?"

"She was repeatedly late for my lesson so I gave her detention Friday only according to Nikki, she never turned up."

Another voice piped up in the corner of the staffroom, "She didn't turn up for dance either." There was a pause and Michael looked between them both. He nodded his head and agreed that he would have a word with Elizabeth when he saw her.

Audrey relaxed a little knowing somebody was going to have a word. She wasn't stupid. There was something effecting Elizabeth and it was only a matter of time before everyone discovered the reason.

/

Elizabeth ran a hand through her hair and paced the room where Thomas had been treated. She swallowed hard and looked at the Doctor, "Are you telling me there's nothing more than you can do?"

"I'm afraid not. We can give him chemotherapy to prolong his life but it is really only a matter of time."

"How long?" There was a pause and Elizabeth reached over to touch Thomas' hand. She stroked his hand not believing this was real. She was going to lose him, just like she lost her parents.

"A couple of days at most." When she was left alone, she swallowed hard and stared at the child she considered her own and raised for the last six months alone. It wasn't fair. He was tiny, he was a baby and he didn't deserve to die.

She doesn't turn up for school on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. She spends all her free time with Thomas doing all the things he loves to do. You know, playing in the paddling pool and going to feed the ducks, playing in the ball pool.

As much as she needed to go to school, her last few days with Thomas were more precious. It was time she was never going to get back. It was Thursday afternoon whilst Thomas was sleeping that Elizabeth decided to ring Waterloo Road, she believed it was only fair to keep them informed.

_"Waterloo Road Sonia speaking, how can I help?"_

"Hi is it possible to speak to Mr Byrne please?"

There was a pause on her end of the phone, "_He's in a meeting at the minute, I can leave a message for him if you like?"_

Now it was Elizabeth's turn to pause, "Can you tell him it's Elizabeth and its urgent."

Sonia tried to remember who Elizabeth was but to no avail. It was difficult to remember every student that came into the office and Sonia was never any good at names as it was. She replied that she would see what she could do but she couldn't promise anything, Michael was a very busy man!

A short while later Michael came on the other end of the phone; _"Hello Elizabeth, is everything okay?"_

Just hearing his voice almost make Elizabeth cry, "No, everything's gone wrong."

He didn't say anything and Elizabeth took that as her cue to begin talking (or rambling as she thought) "Thomas had a seizure on my first day. It was triggered by the tumour that's pressing on his brain. There's nothing they can do, he's dying."

_"Elizabeth,"_ Michael sighed, _"go and be with Thomas. I will tell your tutors and keep any work that you've missed okay? Keep me informed."_

"I will do," she glanced at the cot where Thomas was sleeping; "Thank you."

As she put the phone down, Thomas woke up and began to cry. Picking him up, she kissed the top of his head and breathed in his baby smell wondering how long she had with him.

* * *

**jottings** / if you like it enough to favourite/alert, please leave a review:3


	4. CHAPTER IV

ϟ

* * *

**CHAPTER FOUR**  
_I have a few confessions to tell you._

* * *

When she returned to school the following Monday, Thomas was dead. He'd died on the Friday morning as they were sat in the paddling pool. She held him close and whispered that he could go and be an angel with mummy and daddy and he fell asleep.

She hadn't slept properly since then surviving simply on an hours sleep and caffeine. She spent the night's she couldn't sleep arranging his funeral. She knew not many people would attend, family wasn't everything to Elizabeth, it was always just Elizabeth, Thomas and mum and dad.

The minute she walked into registration on Monday, the classmates she'd never really spoken too offered their condolences. She just smiled softly not really knowing what to say. She sat down and rested her head on the desk knowing it was going to be tough returning to school without Thomas.

At the end of registration, just as she was putting her bag over her shoulder, Audrey called her over.

"How are you holding up?"

"I'm okay," it was the truth, sort of. She was okay, she was just sleep deprived surviving on one hour and finding it hard to grasp the concept that Thomas was dead. That little boy that was her sunshine in a gloomy life was gone and never coming back.

"If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm always here." Audrey offered and Elizabeth nodded. It was nice to know someone was going to listen if she ever felt the need to talk.

It was the same in English too. Those classmates Elizabeth never spoke too offered their condolences too and Ms Mulgrew asked if that's why she didn't turn up for detention that Friday. She nodded her head and explained that it took her an hour to get to the hospital.

Christine smiled softly at the teenager. She was brave to return to school only three days after the death of her baby. Christine remembered she didn't feel brave when she had to return to school when everyone had discovered her alcohol addiction.

When she left English she just walked down the corridor in a world of her own. She came to the hall and upon noticing it was empty, went inside and towards the stage. As she dropped her bag on the floor, she took off her blazer and rolled up her sleeves.

Taking out her ipod, she put her headphones in, closed her eyes and lost herself in the music. She danced the pain away of losing Thomas and it was only when she finished the song, she paused her ipod and opened her eyes.

In front of her stood two teenagers. One with red hair and the only blonde. As she wrapped her headphones around her ipod, one of the girls asked; "Where did you learn to dance like that?"

Elizabeth allowed the question to linger for a second. Putting her ipod away and picking up her bag and blazer she answered; "My mother taught me how to dance, she was a dance teacher until she died."

Putting her bag over her shoulder, she glanced between the two girls nervously. The blonde seemed to sense her discomfort so began to speak;

"I'm Scout and this is Rhiannon."

"I'm Elizabeth but if you try and call me that I will batter you. What year are you guys in?"

They sat down on the stage aware that the bell of the end of break had already gone. They didn't care though, what could a teacher say to them that they hadn't heard before? And never listened too.

"Year thirteen."

"Oh really me too! I don't see you guys around much though."

"We're in the PRU."

"The what?" There was a pause between all three before Rhiannon answered; "It stands for the Pupil Referral Unit, we're basically challenged."

"Right," she smiled feeling a little awkward around two strangers who she'd never met before, "Are you the one who lost your kid?" Rhiannon shoved Scout for asking much an insensitive question. Elizabeth swallowed hard and nodded, "Yeah, yeah I am."

Neither of them spoke for a minute and if Elizabeth was honest, she didn't know what to say. She could feel the tears stinging her eyes and upon hearing Miss Donegan's voice, she was secretly relieved for them all to leave before she showed emotion in front of strangers.

/

"When's the funeral?" She looks at Lorraine and answers, "Wednesday."

There was a brief pause on Lorraine's part, "I don't know if this will help but," she pushed a leaflet towards Elizabeth, "There was a student once, Poppy I think she was called. She said there was never any support for mother's, this might help you."

"He wasn't mine."

"What?"

"Everyone thinks he was my son but he wasn't. He was my brother, I became his guardian after our parents died."

"It still might help you." Elizabeth maintained eye contact for what felt like an eternity before looking away; "It won't, nothing will."

She stood up from the chair, took the leaflet from the table and left the office, the conversation quickly coming to an end. Wednesday came around too quickly for Elizabeth. She dressed in blue, she didn't want Thomas' funeral to be black and dull.

She wanted everyone to dress in blue, one of his favourite colours and for his funeral to be a celebration of his life. It was raining at the church, well not raining just spitting like it was debating whether to throw it down or not.

There wasn't a lot of people who attended. A few distant relatives who thought they'd say goodbye to the relative they barely knew and pay their respects. She said goodbye to him and realised several balloons into the sky, wondering if he'll like them up there, in heaven with mum and dad.

For the entire funeral she didn't cry, Elizabeth couldn't, she was numb. Once it was over she didn't know what to do so sat in the graveyard, alone feeling more lonely now her younger brother had passed away. She thought she must have been evil for everyone to leave her, first it was her parents now her brother. Who next?

She sits on a wooden bench, crosses, uncrosses and re-crosses her legs, twirling a ring around her finger. She wonders how she will cope now that she had nothing left to focus on. She only went back to school to provide for Thomas but he was dead, it didn't matter anymore right?

* * *

**jottings** — Lorraine is OOC but sometimes it's needed for the purpose of the storyline. If you like it enough to favourite/alert, please leave a review:3


	5. CHAPTER V

ϟ

* * *

**CHAPTER FIVE**  
_there was a time, I held on too._

* * *

Thursday and Friday pass in a blur. She begins the grieving process (well it had already started, it just felt more real now she'd buried him) She gets those looks of pity and sympathy around school and she hates every minute of it because it reminds her he's dead, he's never coming home.

She goes to school because she tries to do well, for herself and for Thomas. The thought does cross Elizabeth's mind more than one to drop out and leave because she did come back for Thomas and now he was gone so really, what was the point?

She gets drunk on Friday. It's only morning break and yet she sneaks out and buys a bottle of vodka from the Asian shop around the corner. She drinks the entire bottle providing her with some release but attempts to go back to school where she makes no sense because she's away with the fairies and babbling utter nonsense.

Christine's sat behind her, rubbing her back as she throws up the poison inside. She doesn't say anything because she knows nothing she can say will stop Elizabeth from hurting inside. She just knows from experience Elizabeth's in a bad place right now and needs all the support she can get.

She listens as Elizabeth whispers her brother's name over and over again before bursting into tears and remembering the reality of the situation. Thomas is dead. Thomas is never coming back. Elizabeth throws up again wondering why she's still sick when there's nothing left inside her stomach.

"Elizabeth," Christine's voice is soft, her hand still circling Elizabeth's back, "I wish you'd talk to someone."

"No point, nobody gets it!" She answers back. It's partially true. Inside she's broken, she wants to hurt people, hurt herself to make her feel normal. She just wants it to be a bad dream and she'll wake up any minute and Thomas will be lying in his cot, sucking his fingers like he did every morning.

It only makes her cry harder.

Elizabeth shuffles slightly and the bottle of vodka rolls out of her school bag, along the floor and stops in front of Christine. She remembers the time she sought comfort in alcohol, the times she drank to make her forget the memories of being attacked.

She surprised herself when she didn't reach out for the bottle, the days she'd been sober repeating in her mind. One hundred and fifty days sober. It was strange to think one hundred and fifty days ago she'd have done anything to drink that but now, she realised how deadly it was. And how it destroyed everything decent in life.

"People can try to understand."

Elizabeth's silent. She doesn't believe Christine because she doesn't believe anyone could ever understand how it feels to have your heart ripped out and stabbed and repeatedly stomped on through the death of a child you considered your own.

"Come on, lets sober up and we'll talk."

Elizabeth sobers up but she doesn't talk.

* * *

**jottings** — if you like it enough to favourite/alert, please leave a review:3


	6. CHAPTER VI

ϟ

* * *

**CHAPTER SIX**  
_we're tryna take it slow_

* * *

Saturday and Sunday also pass in a blur. She falls out of clubs, completely wasted, her skirt up her arse and all dignity lost. She spends the evenings in the mud by his grave, clawing at the dirt, laughing hysterically even though he's gone.

She still believes she's a horrible person because everyone in the end leaves her.

Monday is Monday, the shittest day of the week. She settles down, isn't drunk like she was on Friday. She goes to school, she ignores those sympathetic looks that she receives and she ends up perfectly fine. Well as fine as she can be on one hours sleep and a litre of coffee.

She's given back two essays in two different subject areas, both of which are a C. She's happy, ecstatic that she's on track. Yes she knows in order to go to university she needs A but her little brother's just died and she's been given two essays back graded at C. She was sure this was a sign that everything was going to be okay.

And it is, eventually. She becomes best friends with Scout and Rhiannon (even though she doesn't always see eye to eye with either of them) her grades get better and she starts getting the A's and she's happy because everything's perfect. (for the time being)

She applies to five universities and is amazed when she gets a conditional offer at all five. She can't help but wonder if Thomas has something to do with it, being her guardian angel, watching over her and making sure she'll be alright; just like she did with him.

On August 15th, she stands in line and waits to get her brown envelope with her friends. She's nervous because what's inside changes her entire life. She bites her lower lip and opens the envelope and stares at the results.

"Well?" Scout asks nervously. She passed to go to University and now she wanted to know about Elizabeth.

"I'm going to University, oh fuck." Elizabeth wrapped her arms around Scout as they both laughed. Elizabeth smiled, tears of happiness running down her cheeks. She couldn't believe she was going to University, six months ago the dream didn't seem possible but here she was with her results and definitely going!

"Well, how did you do?" It was the first thing Michael asked and she smiled; "Three A's and one B. I did it Sir, I'm going to University."

"Congratulations."

"Thanks," there was a pause, "Sir, do you think I can do it?"

He smiled at the youngster and nodded; "You can do anything you want too Elizabeth, if you put your mind to it. This year hasn't been easy for you and here you are, you're going to University. I'm proud of you."

She smiled, "Thanks Sir, I better go. Take care."

"You too Elizabeth." She didn't go home, she went to Thomas' grave instead. Kneeling down in the grass, she blew a kiss and smiled before thanking him for showing her what love truly was. His death and the death of her parents taught Elizabeth that life was too short, she was going to University and she was going to do something with her life.

And it was all because of her little brother.

* * *

**jottings** / if you like it enough to favourite/alert, please leave a review:3


End file.
